11Sep
First-Res N95 Face Mask

Questions Raised Over Face Masks Used In Australian Hospitals

September 11, 2020By

Victorian and NSW public hospitals are using a batch of respirators that are at risk of tearing and may not meet Australian manufacturing standards.

The masks did not gain National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) certification as an N95 respirator until 7 June; however, many of the respirators currently in use across Victoria and New South Wales come from a batch manufactured on 5 May.

Wing You, General Manager of BYD Australia, told newsGP the respirator is ‘fully compliant with Australian standards’ and the batch is ‘definitely’ safe.

‘These masks were manufactured in May. They didn’t get approval from NIOSH, but they are the same model,’ he said.

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05Aug
First-res face mask rules

Coronavirus Update: Countries Are Extending the Rules. You Might Have To Wear Face Masks Outdoors.

August 5, 2020By

Cases are ticking upwards in parts of Europe and the Americas are still battling to contain vast Covid-19 outbreaks.

The second wave of infections are starting to be felt, some governments are reaching for a new tool that many public health experts have been touting for months: stricter mask mandates.

In recent days, masks have become mandatory in all public spaces — indoors or outdoors — in Madrid, Greece, Portugal’s Madeira Islands and Hong Kong.

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31Jul
first-res PM Scott Morrison

Coronavirus Update: PM Scott Morrison Speaks To Victorian Premier Over The Second Wave

July 31, 2020By

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has spoken to Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews to discuss necessary support during the state’s second wave of COVID-19.

Scott Morrison says the response to the second wave of Covid-19 infections cannot be shutting the country down to try to eliminate the virus, and he’s moved to reassure people his government will not be withdrawing income support “for those in need”.

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17Jul
first-res surge in COVID-19 cases latest

Coronavirus Updates: U.S. Rise Over 77,000, COVID-19 Cases In One Day

July 17, 2020By

According to a Reuters tally, the United States reported more than 77,000 new COVID-19 cases in a single day, the biggest increase ever reported by a country.

The United States faces a bleak summer as infections surge and many states are forced to close bars and popular beaches to try to curb the rise.

The United States has reported over 3 million cases and 132,000 deaths from the virus, putting President Donald Trumps pandemic strategy under scrutiny.

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15Jul
first-res Tokyo Olympics

Japan Adviser Said That Tokyo Olympics Is At Risk If Coronavirus Mutates

July 15, 2020By

Kiyoshi Kurokawa, a prominent Japanese government adviser, said Tokyo Olympics may have to be postponed again if the novel coronavirus mutates into a stronger pathogen.

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike told Reuters the Olympics, originally scheduled to start this month but put off to 2021 because of the pandemic, must go ahead next year as a symbol of world unity in overcoming coronavirus.

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10Jul
first-res international arrivals

Australia To Restrict Rate Of International Arrivals During Coronavirus Crisis

July 10, 2020By

Scott Morrison has announced that Australia will reduce the rate of international arrivals by more than half – with at least 4,000 fewer Australians returning home each week – and states will charge people for compulsory two-week hotel quarantine.

The national cabinet met to consider the worsening second-wave outbreak, which has seen the reimposition of stage-three lockdowns in Melbourne and isolated Victoria with border bans imposed by every state and territory.

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09Jul
first-res-multinational companies in melbourne

Coronavirus News: 15% of Melbourne Businesses Won’t Survive Lockdown

July 9, 2020By

Lord Mayor Sally Capp said Melbourne is now at risk of losing a significant chunk of its iconic restaurant and cafe scene, a sector that contributes $2.5 billion each year to the state’s economy.

Many businesses are bracing for another “devastating” blow as more than 15 per cent say they will be forced to close for good during the city’s second coronavirus-induced lockdown.

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08Jul
first-res Coronavirus Tax Updates

Coronavirus Tax Updates: Federal Government Considering Bringing Tax Cuts

July 8, 2020By

The Federal Government is considering bringing forward planned income tax cuts forward as part of Coronavirus economic response..

Mr Frydenberg said further income support would be made available after the September deadline for JobKeeper and JobSeeker. Major banks had agreed to extend the period under which loans could be deferred by people facing financial hardship due to COVID-19.

Greater Melbourne and Mitchell Shire will go into lockdown for six weeks, to deal with a surge in coronavirus cases in the state.

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07Jul
first-res face masks latest 2021

Coronavirus Update: Do Face Masks Really Reduce COVID-19 Spread?

July 7, 2020By

With the recent spread of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, people are looking to face masks as a way of protecting themselves and others from the virus, which causes the disease COVID-19.

But does wearing a face mask prevents the spread of coronaviruses?

Yes, wearing a face mask can help reduce the spread of the coronavirus by people who have COVID-19 but don’t realize it.

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